Fujiya's Aomori-inspired Bright Red Apple Cake is as good as the real thing

The summer heat is gradually easing off and the cool of autumn is soon to come. To kickoff the season, Fujiya, one of the country’s best-known Western confectionary stores, has just announced a new sweet, the catchily named Makka na Ringo no Keki (Bright Red Apple Cake; ¥390 after tax).

What’s surprising about the cake is not just its eye-catching apple-shaped appearance, but also the delicate design of its interior, which you could almost mistake for that of a real apple.

The cake is made up of four different layers. The outside is covered in a red icing that tastes tart, but helps accentuates the sweetness of the chiboust mousse beneath. The mousse is as moussey as it comes, both smooth and soft, and the sponge cake beneath adds a bit of weight and a more fulfilling texture. Inspired by the taste of Aomori Prefecture’s famous apples and as good as the real thing, the cake saves the best for last, with a secret accent at the bottom: a sweet center made from caramel-flavored apple jam that imitates the caramel-like texture of the core of what’s considered to be a perfectly ripe apple in Japan.

With the last days of summer still hot enough to melt tarmac, keep the cake chilled in your fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it for yourself.